Big brother will watch Firman

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Sometimes Brett Firman gets flustered about what clothes to wear
and what to eat for dinner. So the constantly indecisive Cowboys
player often consults his best mate, Parramatta's Mark Riddell. "He
refuses to make a decision by himself," Riddell said. "He's
indecisive about everything. What shoes to wear. What jeans to
wear. Where to go for dinner. Everything."

However, tomorrow Riddell will not be helping him a single
skerrick. The pair, who formed the mateship through the love of "a
beer and a punt", speak on the phone everyday, but will become
opponents in the second NRL preliminary final at Telstra
Stadium.

Riddell has been flying this season with Parramatta. But Firman?
Well, he's a whole different story.

"There's been a big turnaround since the start of the year,"
Firman said. "It's getting better." He was in the reserve-grade
football wilderness while playing at the Roosters in the first half
of this season. Lofty hopes of him filling the great Brad Fittler's
boots just didn't work out. "I got off to a pretty slow start,"
Firman said. "I was finding it hard to find my feet again. Things
didn't work out." Firman was released by the club during the season
and the Cowboys snatched him.

Why wouldn't they, when the Roosters agreed to keep paying his
$220,000 contract - the Cowboys are only footing the match payments
of $1500. That earns Firman the title of the budget buy of the
finals.

He was a regular starter when he joined the Cowboys until last
week when he came off the bench.

"It's turned out to be a good decision," Firman said. Coach
Graham Murray said: "We went with Brett and we are happy with what
we received. He's brave, he's got a good kicking game, and passes
the ball well." And Firman's just getting used to Townsville life -
he has just bought a house but misses Sin City living.

"I miss the faster lifestyle in Sydney," Firman said. "It's a
fair bit slower up in northern Queensland. It will teach me to be a
bit more patient." Remarkably the Cowboys became Firman's third
club in just nine months.

Before the Roosters he was at St George Illawarra and that's
where he became mates with Riddell. It's also where many tipped him
to become a star halfback.

"In 2003 he was going to be the next Joey Johns," Riddell said.
"He spent the whole of the year in first grade carving them up."
Even Johns himself spotted amazing talent in the little halfback,
gave him his phone number and Firman often called him to get
tips.

But everything went horribly wrong in 2004. Firman had a
shoulder reconstruction and then in a comeback game in reserve
grade he snapped his tibia and fibia. "It was gross," Firman
remembers of the sight of his crooked, broken leg. He later had a
titanium rod stuck in his leg that goes from his knee to his
ankle.

"It felt like a very long time coming back, it was hard watching
Matty Head at the time," Firman said. Head subsequently snatched
his spot and the Dragons released Firman at the end of 2004.

"It was very disappointing. I was looking forward to backing up
on my first year," Firman said.

But Riddell has always been there during the hard times for
Firman.

"I think the injury was a real big setback to his confidence. I
try to keep him upbeat. He's going to get good now he's got a
start," Riddell said.

Riddell, despite the fact their teams are vying for a grand
final berth, only hopes for the best for his mate.

"He's a little kid," Riddell said, laughing. "At the Dragons
they used to call Jason Ryles his dad, because Rylesy always had to
look after him."